Sierra Leone accepts 27 deportees to escape U.S. visa sanctions

Four countries were penned for fresh visa restrictions by the United States according to a State Department notice in August. Three from Africa – Guinea, Eritrea and Sierra Leone – the fourth was Cambodia.

Sierra Leone has, however, moved to escape the sanctions after making a turnaround opting to accept its nationals due to be deported from the U.S.

According to Umaru Fofana, a Reuters journalist in the country, the government had agreed to accept 27 of its citizens marked for deportation in a U-turn from an earlier position weeks back.

He quoted a Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Emmanuel Turay, as confirming that the 27 deportees were going to be issued necessary documentation by the embassy oin Washington to facilitate their return within a 30-day period.

Incidentally, the U.S. on September 13 officially notified Free Town of the visa restrictions that was to affect government officials . U.S. authorities have yet to respond to the latest position by the Sierra Leonean government.

Communication imposing the visa regime were issued in respect of all four countries who are classified by Washington as being ‘recalcitrant nations.’ The term ‘recalcitrant nations,’ refers to countries that had refused to accept nationals who are due for deportation from the U.S.